Assessment of Land Degradation Factors

Land degradation is a phenomenon that threatens food security and ecosystem balance observed on a global scale. At the beginning of the 20th century on a global scale, its importance was not yet understood due to low climate change, population growth, and industrialization pressure, but today, with the increasing effect of these factors, it has affected more than 25% of the world’s terrestrial areas. Land use/cover change, destruction of forest areas, opening to agriculture, or conversion of forest areas to high economic plantations are the main factors of land degradation. Population growth and increasing demand for food, water, and energy are increasing pressure on natural resources, primarily agricultural and forest land. Due to its dynamic relationship with the climate change, land degradation creates more pessimistic results in arid and semi-arid areas that are more vulnerable and have a high population density. Despite the intergovernmental meetings, commissions, and decisions taken, land degradation continues on a global scale and the human-climate change dilemma creates uncertainties in achieving the targeted results